Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medical Marijuana Activists See Big Pharma Threat Lurking Behind Epilepsy Drug
The Associated Press: Medical Pot Activists Fear Epilepsy Drug Could Undercut Them
An experimental epilepsy drug made from cannabis plants grown in England is complicating the medical marijuana debate in hospitals and statehouses. Epidiolex is a nearly pure extract of cannabidiol, or CBD, with little of the tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, that gets traditional pot users high. CBD products are the current rage in medicinal pot products, and activists fear that if the maker of Epidiolex manages to get FDA approval it could undercut the political momentum of the medical marijuana movement. (Carr Smyth, 4/17)
The Associated Press: Pennsylvania Launches 24th US Medical Marijuana Program
Pennsylvania has become the 24th state to legalize a comprehensive medical marijuana program. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf signed the bill into law Sunday afternoon surrounded by a jubilant crowd of supporters at the Capitol building in Harrisburg. "Marijuana is medicine and it's coming to Pennsylvania," said Democratic Sen. Daylin Leach, the bill's co-sponsor. (4/17)
